The Congress took a jab at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning if he would call wrestler Vinesh Phogat after her historic semi-final win at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday night.
Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic final in wrestling by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman 5-0 in the semi-finals. In the quarterfinals, she also beat Tokyo 2020 champion Yui Susaki of Japan, who faced her first defeat in 82 international matches.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on social media platform X, asking if the Prime Minister would call Vinesh to congratulate her and apologize for how the Delhi Police treated her during the women wrestlers’ protest.
विनेश फोगाट का पेरिस ओलंपिक में सिल्वर या गोल्ड मेडल पक्का है। क्या नॉन-बायोलॉजिकल प्रधानमंत्री उन्हें कॉल करेंगे? निश्चित रूप से उन्हें बधाई देने के लिए, लेकिन इससे भी महत्वपूर्ण यह है कि उस शर्मानाक घटना के लिए माफ़ी मांगने के लिए जब महिला पहलवानों के विरोध प्रदर्शन के दौरान…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 6, 2024
The senior Congress leader referred to the 2023 protest by top Indian wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, against the then-Wrestlers’ Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Brij Bhushan, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was accused of sexual harassment by female wrestlers. He has been the WFI chief since 2012 and faced allegations of sexual harassment and mental torture. Prominent wrestlers like Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya criticized his “dictatorial” leadership style.
Top wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, held long protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar last year, demanding action against Singh. In May, the Delhi Police detained Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and others during a march to the new Parliament building on its inauguration day. Following the incident, the wrestlers went to Haridwar to throw their medals into the Ganges but were stopped by farmer leader Naresh Tikait.
On July 11 this year, the Rouse Avenue court in Delhi ordered the trial to begin and statements from prosecution witnesses to be recorded in the sexual harassment case against Singh. The court framed charges of sexual harassment, intimidation, and outraging the modesty of women against Singh, noting sufficient material against him. The BJP leader has pleaded not guilty.
